26 Backlash(1)
Late evening, inside a lavish imposing manor belonging to the President of Zhang Corporation. In the dinning room sat Zhang Tianyu at one end of a long table, while his daughter sat at the other end. Although, there were other chairs surrounding the table, none sat there, except for those two.
Zhang Jie wore a formal long sleeved black gown of knee length with a prominent bow at the back. Her dark eyes had a demure look in them, underneath the table were fingers clasped together in inner turmoil, while sitting rod straight on her high seat. A soft flannel closed toe slip on encased her little feet. Her hair rested unbound against her shoulders.
At home, the President of Zhang Corporation would dress down. Wearing casual collarless white shirt and pants, he had on dark flannel slip on covering his feet. Each time he got back from work, Zhang Tianyu always went through the ritual of shaving every night before dinner, none of the maids that worked closely by him understood the reason for doing so.
Not a single word passed between father and daughter, as they sat facing each other from a distance. Assorted dishes in polished silver and glassware lay on a draped table. The sight was a feast to behold. The dinning space spoke of exceeding opulence, there was nothing that wasn't dazzling to the sight.
While trying to maintain the facade of a "good father", Zhang Tianyu never drank at home, keeping all his vices outside from the eyes of his only child.
He never made it a point to ask about schooling and anything that happened in his daughter's daily life, and also whenever they sat to eat together in the morning and at night. Leave Zhang Jie to dine alone in the afternoons.
As they faced each other, while eating from their plates, there was no denying the striking resemblance that Zhang Jie bore to her father. There was never a time that, she didn't receive compliments about how similar they both looked. But,that was where it all ended. At seven Zhang Jie wasn't as bright as her father wanted, each day tutors of various subjects will come by, but very little change could be seen. Zhang Tianyu will sometimes make comparison in passing between her and her cousin, Zhang Mi on how well she excelled when she was at the same age as Zhang Jie.
The person that kept the Zhang President up to date regarding his daughter's welfare was his aide. Everything was handled by him, whatever needed the signature of Zhang Tianyu was signed by Gao Yifeng as " guardian". Medical related matters was the only thing that Zhang Tianyu handled by himself, when it came to his daughter.
About twelve maids in dark uniformed gown with their hair held in a bun, on black heels stood in the dinning room to wait on them. They stared straight ahead with their hands by the side, while the two continued to eat in silence.
It was an unspoken rule to dine with stainless steel western utensils, while eating traditional deserts with silver chopsticks. This was his way of ensuring that his daughter had both worlds and wouldn't be found lacking in that area.
